Disclaimers
First, Notes is my personal blog. Except for quotations from other sources, which are always credited by link, citation, or both, all of my assertions here are my own opinions. Please do not attribute my opinions to anyone else, like my employer, my professional associates, or my alma mater. (They may disagree with me. Some of them probably disagree with me, or at least would frown on my expressions of opinion.)
Second, no matter how strongly I assert my opinions, they still may be based on inaccurate facts. If factual corrections are needed, please point them out in the comment sections of the posts where the inaccuracy appears. There is no need to be rude. Also, please remember the difference between something that is offensive and something that is rude:
You are only offended when you choose to be offended by the words or conduct of others, whether they intended to offend you or not.
Rudeness is directed at an individual, or at a small and identifiable group and is intended to anger or offend that person or group, usually with no constructive purpose in mind.
Third, regarding comments, although comments here are moderated, the only comments I normally remove are advertisements and spam, or short comments just telling me I need to correct a link or the spelling of a word.
I believe strongly that we all have, or should have, the right to Free Speech, including speech that is rude or offensive. But if you say something rude, you may receive a harsh response. Welcome to the marketplace of ideas.
If you submit a comment with questions directed to me, I will try to answer them. But if you submit a comment asking for legal advice, I may try to point you in the right direction for getting a lawyer, but I will not respond with legal advice on my blog. Please see below for information about obtaining legal advice.
Fourth, whenever I write about legal issues, I am not giving legal advice on my blog. Nothing I write here is intended as legal advice and nothing I write here should be taken as legal advice. If you have a personal legal problem, you should consult with a lawyer in your area who is licensed to practice law. Here are two things to remember when you are looking for legal advice:
The value of a lawyer’s advice is directly related to the amount of information about your situation that the lawyer knows. Since you did not share any facts about your situation with me before I wrote any posts on my blog, it’s not likely anything I wrote would be valuable advice for you in your particular situation. But in general, that also means when you do go see a lawyer, you need to be prepared to share as much information as possible, especially information you think might be harmful to your case. One of the easiest ways to get bad legal advice is to not tell your lawyer the whole story.
Laws and legal customs are different in every state, county, or district, and most lawyers are familiar with those things in only a few areas. For me, that means my familiarity is limited to those laws and customs that are typically applied in Fresno, California, in the State Superior Court there. For you, that means if you have a legal problem, you should look for a lawyer in the right area. If you have a legal problem in a particular area, you should call a lawyer in that area.
If you would like to consult with me about a legal matter, you may use the contact form here. Please remember that requests for consultations will go to my staff, who manage my calendar. They will contact you as soon as possible to set an appointment. (Trust me, it’s better that way.)